


Stages

by Ibenholt



Category: Cyborg 009
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 21:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt
Summary: The time after the stars fell.





	1. Chapter 1

Gilmore refuses to accept it.   
Not openly, and certainly not so the children can hear him, but he refuses to believe the boys are dead.   
They built them better than that, and any day know, he or Ivan or Francoise are going to pick up signals from them.   
Until then, he can only twist the bolts on the machine that’s scanning after any kind of signal from them.


	2. Chapter 2

Pyunma so badly just wants to lose himself for a few minutes. He hates being alone, but the house is too full and too dark now. Meanwhile, the ocean seems cold. 

When he lies on his back in the water, he finds himself looking to the sky and wondering if he’ll see two figures clad in red. 

Then his mind pushes the image of charred body parts raining over the house to his inner eye, and he ducks under, swimming to the bottom and crushing the rocks there so the fish around scatter between the swirls of sand. 

There was nothing he could have done!

He pauses suddenly, holding onto a rock as he lifts his face to look up at the light breaking through the water.

Is this is what floating in space feels like?


	3. Chapter 3

“It should have been us.” 

Chang says, his hand clasped in GB’s under the covers. He wonders if he’s slept at all. 

GB doesn’t answer and doesn’t look at him, just rubs his thumb over the knuckles on the other man’s hands. He has short, thick fingers. They didn’t replicate how worn they had been, but gave the illusion of what had once been.

“I don’t know what we are going to do now.” Chang continues.  
“I don’t want to be here anymore.” 

GB inches towards him,

“You can’t run away.” 

“I’m not running. I just need a break. Cooking helps. But I can’t… I can’t do it here without expecting Jet to steal from the cutting board, or have Joe nagging me every five minutes.” 

GB doesn’t tell him that he keeps setting the table wrong when it’s time to eat.


	4. Chapter 4

When they had seen them fall, Francoise had gone completely quiet. Joe’s name had been the last thing out of her mouth. 

Albert had to hold her afterwards. She couldn’t stop crying, and only nodded or shook her head whenever they offered her a blanket or a cup of coffee. 

A few days went by, and she didn’t regain her voice until they found her in the bathroom with half her hair in each fist. 

There were a few clumps left on her head now, but Albert had a feeling they would be shaving those off soon. Her headband wouldn’t stay on, anyway. 

“It will grow out again soon enough. Right now, we need you to rest and eat your food.”

“I’m not doing anything else.” She answered. 

He was standing in the corner, taking her hand when she came over.

“Then maybe a trip somewhere would do us good. I’ll go over it with the others.” 

He ran his gun hand over her cheek, wiping away a tear. He didn’t notice his own until her warm fingers brushed them away.


	5. Chapter 5

They are at peace.   
Geronimo tries to comfort himself with that knowledge. He knows they fought bravely and won. The world will be safe for a while longer. Their family can rest. 

But he doesn’t like being in the house right now. He feels in the way.   
Francoise will burst into tears without warning, and her panic-attacks lead to them having to stay away from whatever corner she backs into long enough that she regains her breath and Albert can lead her back to her room.   
Albert, who’s crying whenever he’s alone. 

GB and Chang haven’t made a joke in weeks, instead spending most of their time at the restaurant. When they came home exhausted, they put the leftovers of the day in front of them all and take a bath together before going to bed. 

Gilmore comes up from the lab only occasionally, to get food, check on Ivan, and inquire about Fran. 

When Pyunma isn’t locked up in his room, he’s down by the beach. 

*005?*

His head turns on instinct to locate the speaker, knowing that Ivan is still inside. 

“Yes?”

*Can I sit with you?*

He answers, in a way. The mental version of a nod. Soon enough, Ivan’s basket comes floating out of the window before he settles down on the rock next to him.   
Geronimo picks him up, swaddles him and holds him in the nook of his arm. 

*You don’t have to*

Ivan says, but Geronimo knows. He’s seen how these days, no one really holds him anymore. Fran certainly doesn’t.   
Geronimo tickles him under the chin, and he gurgles and wriggles. He musters up a small smile of his own when Ivan grabs his finger. He wonders how it is to have so much knowledge and wisdom, and be confined in a body that can do so little. Ivan still needs cuddles and diaper changes and help with washing his face. He gets distracted by movies meant for babies and whenever Jet rattles keys over his head. 

It doesn’t make sense that he would have to decide which person of the team would take the blow for all of them. 

*They’re gone. Just like mama* 

“I know.” 

His voice doesn’t tremble, but there are tears coming from underneath the little mop of hair. 

*Just like so many others*

He looks up at him, 

*I am… experiencing regret*

Geronimo lifts him up so that his chin and hands are resting on his shoulder,   
He allows Ivan into his mind and lets him see how he mourned for those who were old. Those who were so ill that death was a mercy. And now, those two lives snuffed away so quickly.   
Ivan starts crying for real. He sounds so much like any other baby that it’s almost alarming. Geronimo pets his back and chokes back his own tears.


End file.
